Registration is now open for the first ever courses to be held at the International Association of Public Transport’s (UITP) newly created North American Regional Training Center, supported by a partnership with New Jersey Transit (NJ Transit) and Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation (CAIT). The training courses assemble public transportation professionals from across North America and internationally to hear and share best practices and learn new strategies and tactics on topics, including electric buses, fare management, rail operations and public transportation fundamentals. Courses will be offered in July, September, October and November of this year at Rutgers CAIT in Piscataway, N.J.
“This is an exciting time for everyone involved in public transportation, not only in New Jersey, but across our country,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “The training sessions will bring together some of the leading worldwide voices across all facets of our industry. NJ Transit is proud to be a partner in this landmark program.”
"NJ Transit marks the beginning of a new era in public transit training in the United States, with the opening of registration for four new courses this year,” said NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin S. Corbett. “We’re proud to partner with UITP and Rutgers CAIT to establish UITP’s first Regional Training Center in North America, providing a unique opportunity to access the expertise and insights of UITP’s network of trainers from the top transit agencies around the world.”
The four training programs for 2023 are:
- Public Transport Fundamentals for North America – July 10-12, 2023
- Electric Buses: Fleet & Infrastructure Planning, Operations and Maintenance for North America – September 27-29, 2023
- Rail Operations and Maintenance for North America – October 2-4, 2023
- Ticketing and Fare Management for North America – November 6-8, 2023
UITP currently has Regional Training Centers in Europe (France, Germany and Spain), Asia-Pacific and Eurasia (China and Turkey), South America (Chile), South Africa and North America. The Regional Transit Centers offer first-class transportation training through the establishment of uniform standards and best practices for all areas of sustainable transportation. Additionally, the training sessions will provide a worldwide network of data and catalogs of programs driving innovation within rail, bus and much more.
“UITP is delighted to open registration to all our 2023 North American training, together with our partners NJ Transit and Rutgers CAIT,” said UITP Secretary General Mohamed Mezghani. “This range of training has been developed to bring comprehensive topics and insights to a wide audience of professionals working in, or interested in, the public transit sector. All program information and registrations are easily accessible on the UITP website, with all courses open to participants across the globe.”
NJ Transit will lead the regional partnership by committing to sponsoring four training programs annually, providing guest speakers for programs when possible and leveraging its experience as a leader in the delivery of public transportation throughout the area.
Rutgers CAIT will act as a key partner by coordinating with UITP and NJ Transit to provide necessary logistics and administrative support. They will also assist in the marketing of training courses and by hosting the training sessions.
"Rutgers CAIT is excited to welcome the inaugural cohort of transit professionals to campus this summer as part of the UITP North American Regional Training Center," said CAIT Director Dr. Ali Maher. "From the fundamentals of public transport, to managing and maintaining fleets of electric buses, these courses will connect practitioners in North America to an international network of data, best practices and expertise. Education is a critical first step in building a sustainable transportation system and developing a skilled workforce to address the pressing climate, economic and equity challenges of the 21st century."
